Tired of big brand jerky, Shawn Scott set out to do something about it. In October 2019, Local Jerky Plus was launched. I had the opportunity to visit their storefront/plant where the jerky is manufactured. Things are going well with Local Jerky Plus being sold in over 700 stores with designs to expand. Plans are in the works to sell Local Jerky Plus in different provinces. This Local Jerky Plus jerky brand name is located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, and is distributed under the same name as Local Jerky Plus.
The next review for Local Jerky Plus will focus on a 3.17 ounce/90 gram bag of their Traditional flavoured beef jerky bites. This jerky was kindly submitted by President Shawn Scott.
Ingredient Review
Ingredients: Extra Lean Ground Beef, Seasonings (Salt, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Sodium Erythorbate, Spice, Onion Powder, Tricalcium Phosphate), Whey Powder (Whey Isolate, Natural Flavours, Guar Gum, Salt, Stevia), Salt, Sodium Nitrite, Sodium Bicarbonate, Glycerol Allergen Warnings: May Contain Soy,
The beef used is not guaranteed to be free of growth hormones or additional antibiotics. Also, the beef is not guaranteed to have at least partial free range access to graze on grass. As a result, the highest ingredient rating that can be awarded is a Good (8/10) rating.
The texture of this jerky is chopped and formed. As a result, two ingredient ratings are deducted without a natural whole sliced strip of jerky.
There is no liquid marinade used here. Some people would call this old fashioned jerky or a jerky rub.
Some healthy ingredients added are garlic powder, spice, and onion powder.
The sugar level is great at 0 grams of sugar per 30 grams of sugar. The salt level is high at 590mg of salt per 30 grams of jerky to lose a rating. Our preference is 350mg of salt or less per 28 grams of jerky.
This jerky does not qualify to have any sodium nitrite added as sodium nitrite is used along with sodium erythorbate to lose a rating. Commendably, there is no MSG added.
Fair (4/10) – Ingredient Rating
Taste Review
LOCAL JERKY PLUS – TRADITIONAL BEEF JERKY BITES
Written by guest jerky reviewer Paul Rekker
When I open the bag I cannot make out any discernible aromas. The pieces are all uniform, pretty much in size and thickness. They are medium in size and sliced rather thin. There is no oily residue left on your fingers.
When I bite into the jerky I am met with a delicious amount of salt. Not overkill, but definitely has a solid salt flavour. Also, light sweet (a good thing), with maybe a hint of garlic, light pepper, along with a processed meat taste. Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying the flavour, but it does taste similar to most other processed meat, this is just a cut above. These beef bites are not bad, but they could also be better.
My review is writing like a 7 or 8/10, but I am enjoying it, so I will rate it as an 8/10, although I could be coerced into a 9/10 if need be. Gentlemen?
Written by guest jerky reviewer Stéphane Leclerc
Local Jerky Plus – Traditional Beef Jerky Bites is mostly about the soy sauce and salt. I could barely taste anything else. The meat, although chopped and formed, still had some texture, unlike most other chopped and formed, where the pieces have a sponge like texture. This may be due to the meat being leaner and not as pulverized as this usual type of jerky.
This Local Jerky Plus – Traditional Beef Jerky Bites tastes good and would potentially attract soy sauce lovers. Ultimately, it was fine, and it simply wasn’t my cup of tea. I’d rate this between 7 and 8/10 taste rating.
Here is what Mark had to say about this Traditional beef jerky bites from Local Jerky Plus: “Thanks Stéphane and Paul for the honest taste reviews. I lean more toward Paul here. Stéphane mentioned the taste of soy, but I am not convinced that soy was used, nor is it a listed ingredient. While this traditional flavour is pleasant tasting, being chopped and formed is somewhat of a turnoff.”
“Otherwise, Stéphane and Paul do a good job of explaining the taste profile. The saltiness is at a moderate level without going overboard, and the sweetness is minimal. Overall, a nice snack, but nothing stands out. With Paul at an 8 rating, Stéphane and me at a 7 rating, a Decent (7/10) taste rating will be awarded.”
This 3.17 ounce/90 gram bag of beef jerky sells for $10.99. That works out to $3.43 an ounce, which rates as an expensive price.
Bag Review
This resealable red coloured bag has labels attached to the front and back.
There are no slogans printed on this bag. The only facts displayed are “Gluten-Free” and “Ontario Made”.
Some missing bag categories are a blurb printed about this jerky, a best before date, and French translations as per Canadian law. A batch number is provided, which could likely translate to a best before date. To the credit of Local Jerky Plus, a phone number is provided for customer inquiries.
Check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LocalJerkyPlus
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